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COVID-19. How to support your immune system – 13 amazing tips

During times of crisis, it’s more important than ever to understand how to take care of ourselves on every level: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

There’s so much we don’t know right now, and that’s enough to keep us living in fear. But we do know some things, such as how important it is to be feeding our bodies well.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to coping through times of extreme stress, so I’ve gathered some immune system booster ideas.

I know a lot of people are ordering their food now. There are a lot of farmers, that no longer can sell their produce in the market, so they´re trying to find solutions to reach you and other potential costumers, and some of them are ready for home delivery. Please, do some research in your living area, support a local family farm, while you keep yourself healthy and safe.

Eating nourishing, immune-supporting foods is important no matter what you may be going through. In case you can´t have access to nourishing food, be grateful for what you have and try to make the best of it, search for healthy free online recipes, or call a friend to give you some ideas. Look for some volunteer communities around you. Right now, there are a lot of positive people willing to help.

Here you have some more tips. Avoid feeling overwhelmed by the list, It is not necessary to take all of these at once. Take your time, and pick the ones that resonate with your current reality.

#7 Alkalize your body. Sugar and processed foods tend to make your body slightly more acidic and more receptive to the COVID-19 virus. Eating whole plant foods is a good way to alkalize your body. Try making big vegetable and bone broth soups which can help improve your pH.

#8Drink plenty of fluids, especially warmer fluids. Make soups and broths and have them throughout the week. Drink herbal teas like ginger and turmeric tea. Keep a bottle of filtered water with you at all times. Avoid concentrated fruit juices and sweetened beverages, as the sugar content is harmful to the immune system. Sugar only get quick-fixes, but long term effects of an unhealthy diet, and mood. This pandemic will go away, and after waking up from it, you don’t wanna feel fat and depressed.

#9 Get sufficient sleep! We all know sleep restores and heals the body. Without adequate sleep, optimal immune function is next to impossible! Get in a better rhythm and head to bed earlier. Aim for seven to eight hours a night. Incorporating various relaxation and breathing techniques throughout the day to help with stressand allowing the mind to rest is also very helpful!

#11 Practice meditation and yoga. The data are clear. Increased levels of stress increase susceptibility to viral infections. In one study volunteers had cold viruses injected into their nasal passages. Only the ones who scored high on the stress questionnaire succumbed. Now is the time to learn meditation, do yoga, take hot baths, do deep breathing, practice home massage with your loved ones. If you`re alone, try to massage yourself.

#12 Supplements: There is an increasing number of health claims and the promotion of supplements has also increased in the coronavirus frenzy. There is a lot we don’t know and a lot we do. It’s important not to go overboard. You can start with a multivitamin, vitamin D3, vitamin C, zinc (present in seafood, red meat, pumpkin seeds) and/or old-time friend arctic cod liver oil.

#13 Start a garden. If you live in an area with a lawn or some access to land, grow some of your own food. By the end of World War I, the campaign promoting home gardens—which by then were referred to as “victory gardens”—had dropped off, but many people continued to maintain them. Shortly after the United States was drawn into the Second World War, victory gardens began to reemerge – during World War II, victory gardens produced 40 percent of the food in America.

“My garden is my roofless pharmacy.”

Let Food Be Your Medicine!

American WWII-era poster promoting victory gardensThe British “Dig on for Victory” poster by Peter Fraser

NOTE: This article is not intended to provide medical advice and any changes should be done in consultation with your healthcare provider.